Poisoning of the Wife of the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Chief

Several Ukrainian media outlets reported today, Tuesday, citing unnamed intelligence sources, that the wife of Ukrainian military intelligence chief Mariana Budanov was poisoned with heavy metals. Mariana Budanov is the wife of Kyrylo Budanov, who heads the Ukrainian military intelligence agency and has played a prominent role in covert operations against Russian forces throughout the ongoing 21-month war. Budanov has become a well-known figure in Ukraine, often portrayed as the mastermind behind the behind-the-scenes efforts to respond to Russia. In Russian media, he is a despised figure. If the reports of his wife's intentional poisoning are confirmed, it would represent the most serious targeting of a family member of a senior Ukrainian leadership figure since Moscow began its invasion of the country last February. Ukrainian military intelligence and internal security agencies did not respond to requests for comment. The reports did not indicate any speculation about the identity of those responsible for the poisoning or clarify when it occurred.